learning@Riverdalehttp://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning
Mon, 09 Feb 2015 14:42:19 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.14Spanish Avatarshttp://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2015/02/04/spanish-avatars/
http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2015/02/04/spanish-avatars/#commentsWed, 04 Feb 2015 14:29:55 +0000http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/?p=1515[...]]]>In Shawn Fields’ Spanish 6 class, students were assigned a profession and asked to create an animated Tellagami, using their own voice to talk about the profession in Spanish. The Tellagami app for the iPad is an easy way to bring speaking exercises to life, as the app takes care of the animation, and students can focus on the language and pronunciation as they record. Students wrote a script, designed their avatar, selected an appropriate background image and recorded their voice to animate the avatar. The students thoroughly enjoyed the project, and had a great opportunity for speaking practice.

Take a look at one student’s project here!

]]>http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2015/02/04/spanish-avatars/feed/0iPad Video Analysishttp://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2014/12/05/ipad-video-analysis/
http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2014/12/05/ipad-video-analysis/#commentsFri, 05 Dec 2014 13:52:29 +0000http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/?p=1506[...]]]>In Shawn Fields’ Spanish I and Spanish 7 classes, students used iPad video feedback to analyze and assess their own performance. First, students partnered up and interviewed one another. They used the interview responses to write an “entertainment news” piece, which required shifting the voice from second person to third. Shawn filmed each of the students presenting their piece in class; students’ homework was to examine the clip to identify errors in diction.

By listening to their own voices, they were able to not only identify and correct their grammatical mistakes, but also reflect on their oral presentation style.

Pauline Bera and Susan Polise have been integrating iMovie projects into their foreign language classes.

Students were assigned a project to create a commercial in Spanish, demonstrating a certain level of mastery of the language. After writing and receiving approval on their written scripts in groups, they were given the freedom to start production. The script writing allowed students to focus on vocabulary, grammar and syntax; the filming brought another layer to the project in speaking and listening practice. The students received a brief training on using iMovie, and they found wonderfully creative ways of putting their personal spins on each movie. Take a look at one sample here (but beware the power of persuasion):

Through this tool, they can share with the students a slideshow or presentation, and ask that the students record audio responses directly into the voicethread. Isabella, for example, gave her students a picture slideshow of an event. Students then narrated the “story” of the event in Spanish, describing each component from beginning to end (see below). In Voicethread, all students’ responses are collected in one place, and can be easily examined for comprehension and pronunciation. It is a great way to give every student a voice, even with limited class and face time.

]]>http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2014/11/19/voicethread-enhances-dialogue-in-foreign-language-classes/feed/0Project: Eggmobile E-Bookhttp://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2014/11/10/project-eggmobile-e-book/
http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2014/11/10/project-eggmobile-e-book/#commentsMon, 10 Nov 2014 13:41:02 +0000http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/?p=1497[...]]]>This summer, Phoebe Coles and Megan Abramopaulous spent the week of tech camp redesigning their first 6th grade unit, and integrating the iPads in a meaningful way. What they created was outstanding!

As the students learned the scientific method, they put each step into practice by designing, constructing, and testing Eggmobiles to safely carry eggs down a ramp. This is a project they’ve been doing with the kids for several years, but this year they incorporated the iPads in a few different ways:

Throughout the duration of this project, students were creating an e-Book to document the process, reflect on and analyze each step. They developed hypotheses, planned their designs, recorded their test trials, and redesigned and reconstructed when necessary. Megan and Phoebe found that this documentation process encouraged the students to better synthesize the importance of each step along the way. Their final e-Books contained their summaries of each step and examples, screenshots of various graphic organizers used to map their ideas, and video footage of their trials. Below, you’ll see Phoebe and Megan sharing the experience, and an example of student work.

]]>http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2014/11/10/project-eggmobile-e-book/feed/03rd Graders using Google Earth to Examine Journeys of NY Explorershttp://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2013/03/05/3rd-graders-using-google-earth-to-examine-journeys-of-ny-explorers/
http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2013/03/05/3rd-graders-using-google-earth-to-examine-journeys-of-ny-explorers/#commentsTue, 05 Mar 2013 16:58:20 +0000http://blogs.riverdale.edu/techintegration/?p=985[...]]]>3rd graders are studying the history of the New York area. We used Google Earth to measure the journeys made by European explorers who played a role in the colonization of our area. After taking the measurement in miles, they related the distance to estimates of the time it took for them to complete the journey.
]]>http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2013/03/05/3rd-graders-using-google-earth-to-examine-journeys-of-ny-explorers/feed/0Magnets and Explain Everything in Grade 2http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2013/03/05/magnets-and-explain-everything-in-grade-2/
http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2013/03/05/magnets-and-explain-everything-in-grade-2/#commentsTue, 05 Mar 2013 16:26:29 +0000http://blogs.riverdale.edu/techintegration/?p=977[...]]]>2nd graders used the Explain Everything app and iPads to create videos explaining magnetic attraction as part of their unit on magnetism. They imported pictures, recorded themselves explaining what kinds of objects are and are not attracted to magnets, and finished with a simple animation to demonstrate magnetic attraction.

]]>http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2013/03/05/magnets-and-explain-everything-in-grade-2/feed/0Chinese Riverdale website: a space for sharing and peer learninghttp://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2012/10/23/chinese-riverdale-website-a-space-for-sharing-and-peer-learning/
http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2012/10/23/chinese-riverdale-website-a-space-for-sharing-and-peer-learning/#commentsTue, 23 Oct 2012 18:30:56 +0000http://blogs.riverdale.edu/techintegration/?p=949[...]]]>With many different languages represented in New York City, I submitted a proposal last year hoping to take advantage of this cultural diversity. I was envisioning that the Chinese language students could find opportunities locally to practice speaking their target language, and share their resources and experiences with each other. Luckily, my proposal was chosen, and RethinkED team, from Columbia Teachers College, came to my aid. They encouraged me to document this NYC Chinese immersion project for current and future Riverdale students alike, and that prompted the creation of the Chinese Riverdale website.

Two months have gone by since the launching of this brand new website, and students from all levels of Chinese classes have contributed contents that give this website meaning. The two main components of the site, the journaling and the mapping, both provide spaces for students to share with and learn from each other. For journaling, students write a journal each week in Chinese and post it on the website. Before the birth of the website, students’ journals were only visible to the few other students in their class. But now with the website, students know that their journals are potentially accessible to all Riverdale students and faculty, and thus they have been writing with increasing creativity and quality. They have learned to write more focused journals, to describe their feelings more expressively, to elaborate on more details, to write an argument, and some have even ventured to write historical analyses. As they read and comment on other students’ journals, they learn from each other. In addition, they also receive extensive feedback about their journals from their teachers, and the website has allowed us two Chinese teachers to keep a closer track of students’ progress, since we can now easily see everybody’s creation of language in one place.

While journaling documents students’ progress and provides them with a chance to think, write, and read in the target language every week, mapping aims to inform them of the actual locations in NYC where they can go to speak Chinese. Unsurprisingly, most mapping “pins” students created so far are Chinese restaurants, and they pinned these restaurants down with such enthusiasm. With some guidance, students became more inclusive in their mapping locations. For example, one student tried to identify the elevator in his building because sometimes he can get a chance to speak with a Chinese person in his elevator. For another example, a few students collaborated and put down a friend’s house because when they go there together, they can speak some Chinese together. Some also pointed out several cultural institutions in New York, such as the China Institute and the Asia Society. Although we are still trying to identify more locations for speaking Chinese locally in NYC, it is encouraging to see that the students are aware of practicing their target language outside of school.

In addition to journaling and mapping, the website has also documented activities that we have organized towards our “local immersion” goal. Our newest adventure was a gathering for upper school Chinese language students and Chinese international students at Columbia Teachers College – many thanks to RethinkED team for helping us organize this event! We all had lunch together, then toured the Columbia campus in small groups, and had lots of time conversing in Chinese. One of the Columbia volunteers even graced us with a Peking Opera mini-performance. After the event, several links were created on the map connecting students’ journals with the location of Teachers College, mapping a great location for current and future Chinese language students to find native Chinese speakers in the City.

Since this is a Riverdale Google site, access is currently available to holders of Riverdale Google IDs only. However, I am including the following snapshots of the website:

Welcome page

Journaling

Mapping

Links connecting mapping with journaling

Activities at Columbia Teachers College

]]>http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2012/10/23/chinese-riverdale-website-a-space-for-sharing-and-peer-learning/feed/1Using ShowMe on the iPad in 4th Gradehttp://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2012/05/17/using-showme-on-the-ipad-in-4th-grade/
http://blogs.riverdale.edu/learning/2012/05/17/using-showme-on-the-ipad-in-4th-grade/#commentsThu, 17 May 2012 10:00:09 +0000http://blogs.riverdale.edu/techintegration/?p=805[...]]]>In their unit on multiplying larger numbers, fourth graders learned three different methods for multiplying larger numbers – partial products (or the expanded method), the box method and the traditional algorithm. As a culminating assignment, students had to choose a method to teach using the “Show Me” app on the iPad. Students first thought about effective ways to teach a concept. They experimented with the app and then spent a few days crafting their lessons until they were pleased with the outcome. Students exhibited a great deal of zest when using the Ipads, curiosity for learning how to use the application and grit in perfecting their presentations.

An 8th Grade Science Teacher experiments with “flipping the classroom” as she teaches a concept at home and then has the students work collaboratively on problems at school to reinforce their understanding.